The present invention concerns seating units having a reclineable back, and more particularly concerns seating units having a reclineable back with flexible lumbar region.
Manufacturers are becoming increasingly aware that adequate lumbar support is important to prevent lower back discomfort and distress in workers who are seated for long periods. A problem is that the spinal shape and body shape of workers vary tremendously, such that it is not possible to satisfy all workers with the same shape. Further, the desired level of firmness or force of support in the lumbar area is different for each person and may vary as a seated user performs different tasks and/or reclines in the chair and/or becomes fatigued. In fact, a static lumbar support is undesirable. Instead, it is desirable to provide different lumbar shapes and levels of support over a work day. Merely providing a particular shape or an adjustable lumbar support is not enough since seated users are constantly changing their position in the chair. Instead, the chair back must move and flex in a sympathetic manner that mirrors the movement of a human spine and lower back while providing good postural support in all body positions. Accordingly, an adjustable lumbar system is desired that is constructed to widely vary the shape and force of lumbar support. At the same time, the adjustable lumbar system must be simple and easy to operate, easily reached while seated, mechanically non-complex and low cost, and aesthetically/visually pleasing. Preferably, adjustment of the shape and/or force in the lumbar area should not result in wrinkles in the fabric of the chair, nor unacceptable loose/saggy patches in the fabric, even while the range of shape and force adjustment is increased.
A synchrotilt chair is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,931 (to Knoblock) having a base assembly with a control, a reclineable back pivoted to the control, and a seat operably mounted to the back and control for synchronous motion as the back is reclined. This prior art chair incorporates a semi-rigid flexible shell that, in combination with the chair support structure, provides a highly-controlled postural support during the body movements associated with tasks/work (e.g., when the back is in an upright position) and during the body movements associated with recline/relaxation (e.g., when the chair is in a reclined position). This prior art chair moves a seated user""s upper body away from the user""s work surface as the user reclines, thus providing the user with more area to stretch. In fact, moving around in a chair and not staying in a single static position is important to good back health in workers whose jobs require a lot of sitting. However, users often want to remain close to their work surface and want to continue to work at the work surface, even while reclining and relaxing their body and while having continued good postural support.
Modern customers and chair purchasers also demand a wide variety of chair options and features, and a number of options and features are often designed into chair seats. However, improvement in seats is desired so that a seated user""s weight is adequately supported on the chair seat, but simultaneously so that the thigh area of a seated user is comfortably, adjustably supported in a manner that adequately allows for major differences in the shape and size of a seated user""s buttocks and thighs. Additionally, it is important that such options and features be incorporated into the chair construction in a way that minimizes the number of parts and maximizes the use of common parts among different options, maximizes efficiencies of manufacturing and assembling, maximizes ease of adjustment and the logicalness of adjustment control positioning, and yet that results in a visually pleasing design.
Accordingly, a chair construction solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
In one aspect of the present invention, a back support assembly for use in a seating unit includes a back frame and a back support. The back support includes separate upper and lower portions pivoted to the back frame at upper and lower pivots, respectively. The upper and lower portions combine to define a convex shape and include mating structure forming an expansion joint that permits collapse and expansion as the upper and lower portions are flexed between a more-convex shape and a more-planar shape.
In another aspect of the present invention, a seating unit includes a base, a seat supported on the base, and a back frame coupled to the base for reclining movement. A back support is provided that includes separate upper and lower portions pivotally coupled to the back frame at upper and lower connections, respectively. The upper and lower portions combine to define a convex shape and include mating structure forming an expansion joint that permits collapse and expansion as the upper and lower portions are flexed between a more-convex shape and a more-planar shape.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.